Birding in the Texas Panhandle

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Songbirds and Shorebirds

All last week I thought I had to work today but a last second reprieve (thanks, Rochelle) found me out at the lake this morning on one of those panhandle rarities, a windless day. I took full advantage of it and walked several miles, the first good walk I’ve had since last fall. I spent the winter birding from the warm cab of my truck and so getting out in the thick of it was a pleasure. There aren’t many waterfowl around now except for Blue-winged Teal, American Coots and an few Northern Shovelers. One of the smaller ponds at Spring Canyon still has a couple of Buffleheads, a Mallard pair and several Lesser Scaups in it and the large pond has a couple of Eared and Pied-billed Grebes, but that’s about it.

Lots of songbirds and shorebirds around, though. Here’s a few photos of them.

Spotted Sandpiper.

Greater Yellowlegs (I think.)

Wilson’s Phalarope (not sure if it’s pronounced Fa-la-rope or Fa-lar-o-pee, but it’s a good looking bird.)

A killdeer and it’s chick. The little guy’s legs were so long that it had to squat to pick up whatever it was they were dining on.

There’s not many gulls left but I did see a few Forster’s Terns again today; this one seems concerned about his toes.

Here’s one of the Eared Grebes,

and the Pied-billed Grebes.

I think this is a Field Sparrow.

This is most definitely a Chipping Sparrow.

Not sure what these Cliff Swallows are up to; gathering mud for their nests, possibly. They are building a dozen or more on a covered fishing dock about 100 yards from where I took this photo.

My first Yellow-rumped Warbler of the spring. YRWA seem to come in different flavors. I saw an Audubon’s YRWA last spring. I think this one is a Myrtle.

This is not a very good photo, but you can see the yellow patch on his butt that gives him his name.

A red-tailed Hawk. you can’t see it in this photo but he just grabbed breakfast, some sort of small rodent. If I was a better photographer, I’d have a pic of the kill. I saw him catch it but was way too slow with the camera.

As I publish this post it is raining lightly in my yard. I’m going to go stand out in it.